Subjective and objective sleep quality in irritable bowel syndrome

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to compare subjective and objective me asures of sleep quality in patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and controls. METHODS: The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) was used to measure subj ective sleep quality, and polysomnography was performed during one night to obtain objective measures of sleep quality, including sleep efficiency, sl eep latency, number of arousals, and percentage of slow-wave sleep. Partici pants were 15 IBS patients and 15 healthy controls. RESULTS:The:results showed a significantly increased global PSQI score in p atients, as well as significantly higher scores on several subcomponents of the PSQI (i.e., sleep quality,sleep latency, habitual sleep efficiency, an d daytime dysfunction). Analysis of polysomnographic parameters revealed no significant group differences on any measure. CONCLUSIONS: Complaints of poor sleep quality in the absence of objective s leep abnormalities suggest altered sleep perception, and support that IBS i nvolves exaggerated responses to normal internal or external stimuli. (Am J Gastroenterol 1999;94:2447-2452. (C) 1999 by Am. Coll. of Gastroenterology ).